


your hands protect the flames (from the wild winds around you)

by starbytes



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Episode: s03e10-11 The Day of Black Sun, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Non-Canonical Violence, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Panic Attacks, Protective Aang, Protective Zuko, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), Trust Issues, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25142197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starbytes/pseuds/starbytes
Summary: He can’t stop it. Aang sees it happening, but there’s nothing he can do. He hadn’t even expected Zuko to be there, though maybe he should have, because Fire Lord Ozai is his father and he would want to keep his son safe during the eclipse - if they were anything like family should be.But they aren’t, and it's not him that Ozai’s lightning strikes.It's Zuko.(aka, zuko joins the gaang during the eclipse)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 165
Kudos: 2602
Collections: A:tla, Quality Fics, avatar tingz





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> title is from bastille's 'icarus'
> 
> does it really count as a 'zuko joins early' fic if it's just by one episode? anyway, thanks for checking out my fic! a lot of the next chapter is already written, but i needed to post this part just to get rid of my anxiety about it lmao
> 
> like everyone else, my rewatch of atla has done wonders for my mental health and also my ability to write again, so i hope y'all enjoy this :)

Zuko feels the sun’s warmth leave him. He thinks it should remind him of the first time he touched snow, of diving beneath northern ice and standing with his face turned toward the full moon.

It doesn’t.

He instead thinks of his mother’s hands and how their warmth had faded from his skin as she disappeared into the dark. He thinks of his uncle’s silence and the space between them, filled with disappointment.

He thinks of his father’s eyes, so cold even as he held him down and cupped his face and fire consumed him.

_It was cruel. It was wrong._

_I was wrong._

The chill settles in his bones, and he steps through the doors.

* * *

“It’s a trap!” 

Toph hadn’t been able to tell before, when Azula had described pink horns and silver wings - an obvious, _stupid_ lie, cut with a voice as sharp as knives, but suddenly a rift had formed between reality and her understanding of it. It had made her a little more cautious, a little less _sure_ of her next step.

Behind them, Azula lowers her voice.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Toph doesn’t know if she’s lying now, and but she keeps running anyway.

* * *

_How much time?_ Sokka asks himself as he runs, but he answers aloud because he knows Aang and Toph are asking themselves the same thing. _How much time? How much time?_

“Two minutes!”

The timing device slips from his trembling hand, shatters under their feet, but he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t look back. If he does, he might not keep going.

_She was lying._

He’d kept running, even after Azula had called his name, told him about _Suki_. Toph had pinned her to the wall and grabbed his hand, told him she was _lying_.

He hadn’t been sure. He still isn’t, but he doesn’t let go of Toph’s hand. Sweat drips from his face, his lungs burning with each rapid breath. It feels damning: even the moon struggles to suppress the sun, and the world around them still burns in the shadows.

* * *

They’re not going to make it. Aang knows they’re not. Maybe, _hopefully,_ there’s time enough to escape, to get Sokka and Toph to safety before the eclipse comes to an end, before they walk into the mouth of the dragon and its jaws snap shut.

He also knows that they may not have another chance, and _if_ they live, he can’t let it be with regret.

So he keeps running. He goes ahead, but not too far, because his body is thrumming with nervous energy; he can’t feel anything around him other than his own pounding heart. He doesn’t know where they are, or where anyone is. He needs Toph to tell him where to go, and he needs Sokka to stay with them, because he can’t be certain he won’t run back to Azula if they leave him behind.

And Aang isn’t leaving _anyone_ behind.

He runs until Toph comes to a sudden halt, yanking Sokka with her. She stills, body tense, feet angled. She points to the left, at the wall. She doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t need her to.

The stone falls away, disintegrating; Aang isn’t sure if he got to it first or if Toph did. He clears the stairs it reveals with a blast of air, and they run, skipping steps, down, down, until the ground evens out and they come to a door. There are guards around it, but they don’t have _time_ , only seconds, so he doesn’t think twice about blasting them back and walling them off until there’s nothing between the three them and the door but his own fear.

_We’re out of time._

* * *

_I’m out of time._

Zuko knows he’s made a mistake. He’s waited too long. He should have left when he had the chance, should have turned his back on his father and kept walking, but he’s _weak_. He can hear Azula’s voice, _predictable, as always, Zuzu,_ and knows it’s true.

He knows what will happen, can hope he’s prepared for it, that he’s strong enough to at least give himself a chance to escape, and maybe that some of that _luck_ that gave him life will help him keep it now.

Ozai closes his eyes. Zuko feels the air shift.

The door behind him is blown open.

When he turns his head, he sees the Avatar, sees his friends on either side, sword raised, stance shifting. He sees surprise flicker across his face, sees him start to say something, but Zuko can’t hear him, can’t find his own voice.

_Run!_

He feels the warmth rush back into his bones, and he watches as surprise morphs into something like grief because he knows the Avatar feels it, too, just before everything explodes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. this is super late, BUT. i have been so blown away by the response to this fic! thank you guys so, so much! the next chapter won't take nearly as long, i promise. also, this is going to be a little longer than i initially planned, most likely under ten chapters, but i'm not going to set it in stone
> 
> also also, zukka is going feature in this. that wasn't what i initially planned, either, but. yknow. main focus is still going to be the gaang. thanks for stickin around!
> 
> tw: graphic descriptions of injuries

He can’t stop it. Aang sees it happening, but there’s nothing he can do. He hadn’t even expected Zuko to be there, though maybe he should have, because Fire Lord Ozai is his father and he would want to keep his son safe during the eclipse - if they were anything like family should be.

But they aren’t, and it’s not him that Ozai’s lightning strikes.

It’s _Zuko_.

Aang jumps away at the exact moment Zuko screams, his skin tingling, the scar on his back aching with the memory of what it felt like to be struck. He takes Sokka and Toph with him as Zuko stumbles back with the force of it, boots skidding across the floor. Aang expects him to fall, just as he did.

But he doesn’t.

He’s still standing, back bowed, hand outstretched, the other held at his side. His body is halfway turned back toward his father, his stance on the very edge of unsteady, and his shadowed face is twisted in pain, but he is _still standing_. And the lightning—

He sees the current as it’s pulled inward by Zuko’s hand, and it must take only seconds, but it feels like an eternity to Aang, and he thinks it has to feel that way for Zuko, too, because he can see the way his body struggles to hold it, the way his hands shake as he brings them to his core. The movement is stiff, but there’s a familiarity to it, a kind of subdued fluidity underneath. Like water under ice.

He’s _guiding_ it, Aang realizes.

But he can’t linger on it. Zuko is stepping forward, and he’s bringing his other hand up and it’s less controlled, more desperate, and the lightning moves with it, from the tips of his fingers and back out across the room.

There’s a flash of white-hot heat as smoke fills the room. The ground shakes. From somewhere within the explosion, Ozai appears, having been flung back against the wall. He falls to the ground, to his knees.

Zuko mirrors him.

Behind Aang, Toph coughs, and Sokka’s sword clatters to the floor.

“What’s happening?”

“What the _fu_ —"

Aang isn’t sure who says what, because he’s so focused on Zuko. Zuko, who curls over his hands, his shoulders shaking, an aborted cry caught between his teeth. _Zuko_ , who forces his head up to stare at the platform where his father is, then at _them_ , long enough for Aang to see the pain and fear laid bare, but there’s something else in his eyes that makes him think it’s not himself Zuko is afraid for.

“Run,” he rasps, glancing back at the platform. The smoke is clearing, leaving a crescent of fire, where Ozai kneels in the center. The Fire Lord raises his head, hair slipping from his crown, and Zuko pushes himself back, scrambling to his feet. This time, he doesn’t take his eyes off his father. “Run!”

Aang _can’t_ run. It isn’t that he thinks they might have a sliver of a chance, because they _don’t_ : Ozai is already getting to his feet, and sparks fly from his mouth as he takes a breath and _smiles_. The only chance they have now is to escape, and even that is getting slimmer by the second. He knows he needs to get Sokka and Toph out. They have to run.

But he can’t, because blood is dripping from Zuko’s fingers. There’s _blood_ , and it runs in rivulets down his arm, his wrist, pooling in one of his palms as his fingers curl into a loose fist, their tips blackened and split. It’s stark against Zuko’s pale skin, and Aang knows he can’t leave.

Not without Zuko.

"That was clever of you," Ozai says. "I'm beginning to think Iroh's filled your head with a little more than just nonsense."

Zuko doesn't answer. His expression isn't as open as it had been, the pain hidden behind the subtle tremble of his jaw. His right eye is glassy and narrowed, while the other is barely visible amongst the scarring. His rapid breathing begins to even out, slower, more deliberate, even as Ozai takes a step off the platform. Zuko takes a step back.

"Of course, you have once again failed to properly master a technique that would render you not entirely worthless," Ozai continues, and he hasn't moved his hands, but the air feels charged, dangerous. "Pity, really... I was almost beginning to think you could be useful to me after all."

This time, as the air thins and sparks fly from Ozai's hands, Zuko is more prepared.

But Aang is _faster_.

He moves before Ozai can release the lightning, flying into the air and firing a powerful gust of wind at the Fire Lord that forces him to leap backward. Aang lands in front of Zuko, hears his breath hitch, his careful rhythm broken.

"What are you doing? You should—"

Zuko's second attempt at a warning is ignored, if only because Ozai steps forward with a wave of fire that covers the floor in every direction. Aang grits his teeth and arches his back, kicking off from the ground. He takes a handful of Zuko's tunic and pulls him along, unsure if he should apologize for tossing him into the air like a doll instead of a prince, but the flames that lick at their feet make the decision for him as they both scream.

The room spins. The air is stifling; each frantic breath is more difficult than the last. Distantly, Aang can hear Toph cry out, can hear Sokka yelling his name, but he doesn't know where they are. He doesn't know if they're safe. Zuko tries to grab onto his arm, but his fingers are slick with blood. Below them is a sea of fire.

And then it's broken, like waves against the cliffs.

"That's it, Toph! Higher!" Sokka's voice still sounds far away, but it cuts triumphantly through the roar of the flames just as a mountain of rock rises out of the fire. Aang has just enough time to sweep his legs underneath him, trying to cushion their landing with a swift burst of air. He lands on his feet, but Zuko isn't as lucky, the sudden stop in momentum sending him sprawling across the surface of the makeshift island with a yelp. "Sorry!"

Sokka doesn't sound sorry at all, but Aang catches a glimpse of him over the flames. He's crouching on a ledge jutting out from the wall, one hand around Toph's arm, the other clutching his sword. His body is tense, but his expression softens with relief when their eyes meet. They're alive, Aang is alive, and Zuko is—

Zuko is grabbing the back of his robes and dragging him down at the same time Toph is scrambling to her feet, her stance wide and her arms out.

"Watch out!" she shouts at the same time a ball of fire soars over their heads, exploding against the wall behind them. Their island trembles, dirt and jagged pieces of rock falling from the ceiling. Toph bends more earth beneath her and Sokka, adding more support to their narrow ledge, but Ozai is relentless. He steps into the fire, arms raised, fingers curling into fists. He brings them back and then forward again, and again, more fireballs exploding around them with heat so intense Aang's eyes burn. Each explosion brings down more debris, cracks appearing faster than Toph can stabilize them. "Do something!"

Ozai takes another step forward, sweeping his leg up in a wide arch that fire follows. Aang raises his staff as it expands, rushing toward them, and he's ready to redirect it toward the ceiling when Zuko appears at his side. Shadows flicker across his face, his eyes bright with pain and the glow of flames; his hands shake, blood continuing to drip from his fingertips. But he doesn't falter, rooting himself against the crumbling foundations of their pillar as he reaches out toward his father's attack. The flames are nearly as resilient as he is, flaring wildly as he fights for control, but he pulls them in and around, creating a ring that encircles them.

Aang's first instinct is to bat the flames away or jump out of the fiery ring where the heat tightens his skin and steals his breath. By their shouting, Sokka and Toph feel the same way, but he can't see them. He can't see Ozai, either, or the rest of the room. It's just him and Zuko, and that should scare him, he thinks, but it doesn't. He catches Zuko's eyes, the fear once again illuminated by the flames. It's raw, and it's _real_ , and Aang feels it, too. It roots him to the spot because he's already decided he can't leave Zuko behind, and he _won't_. It feels like leaving a part of himself, the part that ran from Fire Lord Ozai even in his dreams, that looks at his son, bloodied and terrified, and sees a legacy of cruelty that's closer to the source than Aang could have ever imagined.

So he doesn't move. He watches as Zuko sends Ozai's attack back at him, and when Zuko stumbles forward, nearly toppling off into the fire, he takes his arm to steady him. He feels Zuko stiffen, but he doesn't pull away, gaze briefly darting to Aang before locking back on his father.

If Ozai is surprised by Zuko's retaliation, he doesn't show it. His face is a mask, eyes dark as he cuts through the redirected flames. Zuko swallows hard.

"If he'd wanted to kill us, he would have," he says, almost too quietly to be heard over the fire. "He wants to keep you alive."

He doesn't mention himself. Aang doesn't need him to. If nothing else, Ozai leaves little to the imagination when it comes to violence.

"... Your friends are fair game, though," Zuko continues, his eyes widening as they flit past Aang to Sokka and Toph. Aang twists on his heels, a chill settling in his chest despite the heat around them as he watches them mount their own offensive.

Toph cuts a path through the fire with a wall of stone, Sokka behind her, sword in hand. She jabs her hands out and to the side as she runs along its top, pillars of rock jutting out from the fiery floor that force Ozai to leap back to avoid being impaled. He's fast, using his bending to propel himself from pillar to pillar, but Toph is faster. She doesn't give him a chance to attack, and it isn't long before a shard of rock catches his side, sending him flying into the flames. They swell briefly with a quick wave of his hand before moving to cover him in a protective barrier. Behind Toph, Sokka raises his sword.

"Show 'em how it's done, Toph!" he cheers as Toph jumps down from the wall to join Aang and Zuko. Sokka follows, but the moment his boots touch the stone, the excitement fades from his eyes. They harden with anger and distrust, his jaw tense, shoulders squared. He draws himself up, and though he still isn't quite as tall as Zuko, the firebender seems to shrink under the intensity of his gaze. He leans away from him, taking a step back. The tip of Sokka's sword follows, hovering a hair's width from Zuko's throat. "You—!"

"Sokka, wait!" Aang tries to put himself between them, both to Sokka's surprise and Zuko's, who stares at him with wide, unguarded eyes for a fraction of a second before he closes himself off once more, returning his gaze to Sokka's sword. "Haven't you noticed he's trying to _help us_?"

"Did you _forget_ that he's spent the past few months chasing us? That everywhere we've been, from home to Ba Sing Se, he's been right there, trying to capture us, or hurt us, or _kill_ you?" Sokka growls, moving his sword a little closer, until it presses to Zuko's skin. A single red bead appears, following the curve of Zuko's throat, but he doesn't move beyond the hitch of his breath.

"Sokka, look at him!" Aang insists. "Look at where we are! If he wanted to, he would have helped Ozai capture us by now!"

Sokka's eyes shift to Zuko's arms where he has them held in front of him in a placating way. They're trembling still, covered in blood and dust, but Sokka doesn't relent.

"It's a trick. He had his chance back in Ba Sing Se. He could have helped us then, but look what happened, Aang!" he snaps. He takes a step forward, forcing Zuko back, until his foot nearly slips off the edge of the pillar. "He had his chance!"

"I'm sorry! I never meant—I didn't know she was going to—" Zuko tries, one of his hands going to Sokka's sword. Its edge cuts into his palm, fresh blood dripping from his wrist.

"Whatever he's trying to say, he's being sincere!" Toph breaks in, but she's turned away from them. "We'll figure it out later!"

Ozai is rising out of the flames, face twisted in fury; there's a cut above his right eye, glistening in the firelight. It's the first time Aang has seen his facade crumble, the first time he's seen him _bleed._ Something heavy settles inside him, weighing down his limbs, but it isn't fear.

It isn't fear, but the idea of what it actually is scares him more than anything.

Sokka doesn't hesitate. He finally takes his sword away from Zuko, only to pull his boomerang from his back. His eyes trace a trail through the air before he lets it fly.

Ozai doesn't spare it much of a glance as it soars overhead.

"Is your best weapon against me this little girl, Avatar?" he sneers. He turns to Zuko, his anger fading, replaced with the same carefully constructed veil of malice. "I'm beginning to realize that I gave you far too much credit, Zuko. To finally look upon the Avatar and his group and see them for the children they truly are makes your failure—"

He's cut off by a distinct clang, one that echoes around the chamber as Sokka's boomerang returns to find its target. Ozai stumbles forward as it strikes the back of his neck, the mantle of his armor taking the brunt of it. The boomerang flies up before tumbling back down again, and Sokka throws his hand out to catch it. The other one, still brandishing his sword, raises in victory, the blade just missing Zuko's face.

"Haha! Would you look at that!" he says, turning his spiteful grin on Zuko. "Like father, like son, huh?"

Zuko looks stricken for a moment, flinching at Sokka's words, but then there's a spark of anger that ignites a truly fearsome (and more familiar) scowl. He waves his hand, and this time it's Sokka's turn to flinch as he takes a step back. Aang moves to step between them, cold dread washing over him because Sokka was _right_ , they shouldn't have trusted Zuko, he shouldn't have let his guard down—

No fire appears in Zuko's palm. Instead, he sweeps his hand over his father's fiery sea and clears a path to the crumbling entrance of the chamber. The doors had been blown apart by Aang, but the frame around it was beginning to crack, dust falling from the fissures.

"We need to _leave_ ," Zuko hisses. He glances at Ozai, who had fallen to his knees, but he's already stumbling to his feet, the fire around his legs beginning to swirl around him.

"Trying to give your dad a chance to escape?" Sokka growls. He clutches both his sword and his boomerang tightly, but he at least doesn't raise them back to Zuko's throat. "Now's our chance! He's down! We have to attack!"

"It's too late for that, you idiot!" Zuko snarls back. He spares his father another glance, and Aang follows his gaze to Ozai. Something in the air shifts, makes the hair on Aang's arms stand on end, and it reminds him that they're _out of time_. They're alive on borrowed minutes.

"Then just shoot lightning at him if you want to help us!" Sokka insists, stepping back into Zuko's space. "Fight lightning with lightning!"

"It doesn't work that way! I can't bend lightning!"

"We just watched you do it! We know you can control it!"

"You call this control?"

Zuko raises his hands, fingers trembling. They're still blackened and bloody, the white, spiraling vine-like scars streaked with red as they climb up his arms. It hurts, Aang knows it does because his own scar aches, and there's a nagging thought in his head that Zuko's losing too much blood, that he probably shouldn't even be standing.

He's strong, more resilient than any teenager needs to be, but Aang doesn't need another lightning strike to know that none of them are invincible.

"We're leaving!" he says. Sokka turns to him, jaw slack and eyes wide. There's betrayal there, far easier to read than the mask Zuko's already slipped back into place. It _hurts_ , but Aang will deal with it later. "Go!"

Zuko doesn't need any more prompting than that. He jumps down, and he doesn't pause to see if the rest of them are following. Aang jumps down after him.

"You're not seriously going to follow him!" Sokka yells. He's still standing on the pillar, staring down at Aang with an incredulous look on his face, his weapons held limply at his sides. His protests are cut short, however, by Toph, who pushes him over the edge. She follows right behind him as he lands in a heap on the floor, but not without throwing up another wall of rock. Almost immediately, it's obliterated by an explosion. Static lingers in the air, their hair standing on end.

"Yes, we are!" Toph answers for Aang. He doesn't mention the slight tremble in her hands as, together, they haul Sokka to his feet and pull him down the path cleared by Zuko.

Toph turns back to the chamber as soon as they round the corner back into the stairway, closing the ruined entrance with stone, though it's hard to say how long it will stop Ozai from following them. Aang finally lets go of Sokka, who jerks his arm away, his furious gaze locked on Zuko.

He's leaning against the wall, breathing heavily with sweat beading on his temple. There are two palace guards on the floor beside him, both unconscious, but there are no obvious burns or blood. If anything, Zuko looks far worse.

"Okay...?" Aang asks hesitantly. Zuko glances at him, raising any eyebrow, but he shakes his head and pushes off from the wall, smearing blood against the stone.

"Fine," he says, turning toward the stairs. He starts to climb, once again moving quickly and not waiting to see if he's being followed. Toph doesn't hesitate, following him while Aang and Sokka trail behind. "There's going to be more of them. And... I have no idea where Azula is."

"We know where she is," Sokka says. Zuko doesn't stop, but Sokka doesn't drop his smug grin. "We took care of her."

"Doubtful."

" _Doubtful?_ " 

The honey-thick satisfaction immediately disappears from Sokka's voice, replaced by an indigent shriek that finally gets Zuko to turn his head.

"Will you be quiet?" he hisses. "You're going to attract every guard in the palace _and_ my sister if you keep shouting!"

"You're the one shouting!"

"I am not!" Zuko shouts.

"Would you both just shut _up_?" Toph growls, reaching out to grab the back of Zuko's tunic as she comes to a halt. She throws her arm out to stop Aang and Sokka. "There are guards in the tunnel. A lot of them."

"Agni above," Zuko groans. He swallows hard, and though the light is dim, Aang can see the sickly sheen on his skin, the way he tries not to lean too heavily against the wall.

If there's one thing he's learned about Zuko in the time he's known him, it's that he's relentless, pushing his own limits in a way that most grown men would not. He probably knows better than anyone what Zuko is willing to do to get what he wants, because he's _been_ what Zuko has wanted for the better part of a year. He was the one Zuko carried through the snow and biting cold of the North Pole, the one he broke out of Zhao's fortress... and the one to pull him back to safety when it all became too much.

_This_ is too much, for any of them.

"We'll have to fight," Zuko continues, but Aang shakes his head and steps up beside Toph.

"No, we won't," he says firmly. Zuko blinks at him, and something in his eyes tightens, his lips twitching. He's going to argue, that much is clear, but Aang presses on. "We'll go around them."

"And how do you propose we do that? We're surrounded by rock and the only way to go is up."

"Y'know, I've met your uncle, and I think he gives you far too much credit. You're kind of a dumbass," Toph says, much to Sokka's delight as he tosses his head back with a cackle, though she quickly quiets him with a punch to his stomach. "Hello? World's greatest earthbender here, and Aang isn't awful. He's a step above Sokka, at least."

"I thought he was a nonbender...?"

Zuko sounds genuinely confused, but Sokka seethes regardless.

"If you wanna go get yourself stuck and roasted, be our guest," he grunts, still clutching his stomach. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I vote... secret tunnel."

A manic grin appears on Toph's face as she stamps her foot, creating a wall that extends from the stairs to the ceiling.

"How did you say that song went?" she asks. "Two lovers, forbidden from one another?"

"Oh, _no,"_ Sokka sighs with a forceful slap of his palm against his forehead.

At the same time, Zuko nearly shrieks, "We're _singing_ now?"

"The war divides their people!" Aang laughs, ignoring both of them. He feels like he shouldn't, not here, with the weight of the world above them and closing in on all sides, but maybe that's why he should. He glances at Zuko, and through the bewilderment and anger he sees unease and fear. "And a mountain divides them apart!"

He steps to the side as Toph begins to move, continuing the song with an appropriate amount of forgetfulness until the stone begins to shift, and when it falls away, revealing a tunnel just big enough for them to walk through, Toph joins him in an off-key, "Secret tunnel!"

"So _we're_ not allowed to yell but you guys can serenade the firebenders?" Sokka hisses, gesturing between himself and Zuko as if it pains him to do so. He glares at him before stepping inside, grumbling as he does so. Toph follows, shoving him aside to take the lead as she begins to lengthen the tunnel.

"Move it, Twinkletoes! I'll need your help moving some of this rock behind us, and Sparky there is gonna need to light your way because I'm not stopping if one of you stubs a toe."

Aang nods, but he pauses when Zuko doesn't move. He seems rooted to the spot, staring at the tunnel with wide eyes. The anger has given way to uncertainty, and it's transparent in a way Aang hasn't seen since Ba Sing Se. Katara had offered her hand then, and Zuko had refused it in the end.

It doesn't stop him from offering his hand now.

"Come on, we need you," he says as Zuko shifts his gaze to Aang's open palm. "I... I can't firebend, and we don't know where we're going. You can get us out of here."

"And you trust me to do that?" Zuko asks quietly. There's something bitter in his voice, and Aang wonders if he's thinking about Ba Sing Se, too. He wonders if Zuko trusts himself, or if he's afraid to.

"Yes, I trust you," he says. "Do you trust me?"

That surprises Zuko. He's silent for a moment, though a blast from the other side of Toph's wall makes him jump. He steps closer to the tunnel, to Aang, but doesn't take his hand. Instead, he raises his own, fire in his palm.

"... I know these tunnels," he says at last, stepping inside. Aang relaxes with a smile, following Zuko and closing the tunnel behind them. "You could say my family is..."

"Paranoid? Insane?" Sokka offers. "I've been to the Spirit Library – I could give you a whole list of fancy words that describe your family."

Zuko glares at him, but he doesn't disagree. At least, not out loud.

"Fire Lord Sozin wanted to be prepared, and my father and grandfather only improved on his defenses," he says. "Azula and I used to play down here. I would..."

He trails off, staring at the flame in his hand. It flickers, reflecting in the blood that covers Zuko's arm, in the drops that trail behind them as they fall from his fingers. Aang swallows and stops bending for a moment, reaching out.

"... If it hurts, I could try...?"

"It's fine," Zuko says, pulling away from him. The flame grows bigger, seemingly out of spite, and he turns his eyes toward the ceiling. "I think.... I think we need to make a turn."

"You don't sound too sure," Sokka comments.

"Left or right?" Toph asks.

"Left."

"Then what?"

"We... keep going?" Zuko tries, a little subdued. "I'm not exactly in my element here."

"Yeah, that would be me," Toph says. "I have an idea of the layout of the tunnels, but you need to tell me where they go. I'm not too keen on popping up on some guy in the toilet."

"Are we really trusting him to not do that?" Sokka asks, pointedly ignoring Zuko's annoyed huff. "Or to not lead us directly into a pit of lava, or into a _prison cell_?"

"... Well, we need to break out my uncle. That was part of my plan," Zuko mutters.

"Are you _kidding_ me?"

"Sokka," Aang sighs, though he turns away from him as Zuko stumbles. "Wait, hold on, maybe I should—"

"It's _fine_ ," Zuko says again, his free hand on the wall for support. "Listen, I-I have a war balloon stocked with supplies."

"Exactly how much of this did you have planned out?" Sokka asks suspiciously. "Where is it?"

"I'm _not_ leaving without Uncle," Zuko snaps in warning, but his breath is coming faster, his flame flickering violently even as it flares up. "The prison - it's west of here. I-I need just a few minutes to get inside and free him. Then we can—"

"He's going to pass out," Toph says easily, not stopping, but she does move a little slower.

"I'm not!" Zuko growls, but he stumbles again, the flame disappearing briefly before reappearing in his hand. It's smaller, weaker, and Zuko's whole arm seems to shake as if it's too great a weight to carry.

"Sure, Sparky. And don't worry about Uncle Iroh," she says. "Just tell me where to go. I'll make sure we avoid any lava or prison cells."

Zuko falls quiet again except for his harsh panting. Aang can see the intense concentration on his face, the struggle to stay upright. He doesn't stop bending the earth around them, but he does move closer, and he thinks he sees Sokka do the same, though he can’t be sure it isn’t wishful thinking.

"... Here. We need to start going up," Zuko finally answers. The stone beneath their feet begins to gradually slope upward, but if it makes it harder on Zuko, he doesn't say. He keeps walking, his face angled up, and Aang wonders if he can feel the sun, so far away except for the piece of it Zuko holds in his hand.

Toph eventually slows, until she comes to a stop. It's gotten hotter, harder to breathe, and she wipes sweat from her eyes.

"If we go any farther, we're going swimming in lava," she says. "We're directly under a large room - the one we found Azula in."

"The... original bunker?" Zuko asks. His voice is much quieter than before as he leans heavily against the wall, no longer trying to hide how hard it is to do anything more. "How did you get in? It's surrounded by metal..."

"Oh, I can bend metal, too," Toph says. "Do we go up? The room is empty."

"You can—" Zuko starts, but he doesn't seem to have enough mental energy left to process this new information. He merely nods, pauses, then adds, "Y-Yes. It's the easiest way out."

"And we can go back the way we came in," Sokka says, momentarily forgetting that he's supposed to be questioning Zuko's motives in favor of pumping the air with his fist. "All right!"

"Appa is nearby!" Aang says. "We can fly to—"

"Catch him," Toph interrupts. "He's gonna pass out."

The flame in Zuko's hand disappears, dousing them in darkness. Aang scrambles in the dark, but there's a painful-sounding thump as Zuko slumps to the ground.

“Did you even try to catch him?” Toph asks.

“First of all, I can’t see anything,” Sokka says, yelping as Toph sends a sharp rock into his arm. “ _Second_ , I’m not catching a bony firebender! Have you seen his elbows?”

“You’re wearing armor,” Aang says, kneeling and holding out his hands until he finds Zuko’s shoulder. He pulls him against his chest, feeling each shuddering breath deep in his core.

“Exactly, so you’ll be the one carrying him,” Toph says. Sokka stills before launching into a furious tirade, and Toph adjusts her stance. "Hold onto him. We're going up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a tumblr @starbytes :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've been stressing over this one a lot and i'm not really proud of it, but life is tough. very, very sorry for the drop in quality lmao :(
> 
> thank you guys so much for the response to this, though. i honestly can't believe it sometimes. yall are amazing! i also might start looking for a beta for this, so if anyone's interested, feel free to dm me on tumblr!

Sokka remembers his first encounter with Zuko.

Sometimes it's with a clarity that confuses him, blurring the line between past and present. When he sleeps - _if_ he sleeps - he relives the day his mother was killed, or the day he lost Yue, or when Zuko's ship came crashing through the ice. He sees the fear in his tribe's eyes, watches them fight for their lives and for their families and their people.

He watches them fall. He watches the moon turn red with blood.

He also sees a man, a soldier, enter his home, where his mother is. He always runs, but he feels so small, and he can't move fast enough. Sometimes he's clutching his boomerang, sometimes a sword made out of space rock, and it drags behind him, slowing him down. He tries to call out his mother's name, and Katara's, or his father's, but his voice sounds distant even to his own ears.

When he makes it, the man is already leaving, and smoke follows him out. Sometimes, Sokka only sees his helmet; for a long time, the man was faceless underneath it.

Sometimes, after Zuko attacks, it's _his_ face that Sokka sees.

He always wakes with a heaviness in his bones that lingers for hours after that particular nightmare. He doesn't understand it, he hates it, he hates _Zuko_ and this dreadful power he has over him even when there's miles and miles between them. He hates that that feeling of helplessness follows him no matter how much stronger and more confident he's grown. He thinks he should be used to the soldiers and the constant movement by now, to the towering plumes of black smoke in distant waters and far away towns. He thinks that the ash that falls as gently as snow, smearing across his face like his war paint, shouldn't invoke the same terror as the day Zuko's ship appeared on the horizon, threatening what little was left of his family.

But they do - and maybe they always will, for the rest of his days.

He hates Zuko for that. He wants to keep hating him, until he's old enough that Zuko is nothing more than an ember in the farthest corner of his senile mind. That had been his plan.

If there's one thing Sokka's learned after traveling from one end of the world and back again, however, it's that there isn't a single person or animal or spiritual force willing to see his plans through other than himself.

He has nothing to hold onto other than Zuko's legs as Toph launches them upward. Panic blooms hot and heavy in his chest as he imagines being crushed against the ceiling of the tunnel, and he yells out a warning, too concerned with his imminent death to worry about the embarrassingly pitched scream that rips from his throat.

Somewhere above him, Toph laughs, and it does nothing to ease his fears.

Eventually, he realizes that they aren't going to be crushed, though he can feel the bone-rattling shifting of rock around him, stone against stone. Dust falls on his head and shoulders, and he coughs, his initial worry of being flattened morphing into paranoia that they're about to be buried alive.

And then there's light, a hole appearing in the ceiling (floor?) above them with an elaborate wave of Toph's hand.

They're back in the original bunker. It looks the same as they left it: destroyed, mostly, with crumbling walls and shards of rock sticking out from the ground. The throne is a pile of rubble, and there's bits of charred carpet, the banners half burnt where they hang on the wall. It's empty, though, and that's what Sokka cares about as he leans back on his arms, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"We've been through so much and you still don't trust me not to kill you," Toph says, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m hurt, Snoozles.”

"You’re incapable of feeling pain, only murder.”

“Fair enough, but there are certain people I want to murder, and certain people I want to commit murder _with_. There’s a difference.”

"Guys, c'mon, don't do this right now!" Aang pleads. He still has his arms wrapped around Zuko, holding him to his chest as if he's afraid he'll crumble into ashes if he doesn't. Sokka turns his glare on him instead.

There's a storm of conflicting emotions inside him that he isn't sure how to deal with. He's still angry, and he's hurt, because of all the ways he had imagined the invasion going wrong, Aang siding with _Zuko_ hadn't been very high on his list of possibilities. He had thought about everything else, about what they would do if they couldn't reach Ozai, or if they were to lose to him. He had considered the risks, the chance that he could die, that any one of them could die.

And yet, here they are, alive. It feels neither like a victory he wants to celebrate, nor a loss he should regret. They had come face to face with the Fire Lord and survived, but it isn't his corpse they'll be dragging out of the rubble behind them.

He finally lets himself look at Zuko.

For months, Sokka only knew him as the shadow haunting his dreams, as black armor and a red scar against pale skin. He had always been fire, bright in his eyes and sparking in his palm; a sharp kick to the face and, at the very least, an easy target for his boomerang.

And yelling. Lots of yelling. And that stupid ponytail. And—

(Hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. Blue fire and a scream he'd heard a hundred times before, from orphaned children and widowed wives, broken warriors and distraught fathers. A scream he'd echoed into darkness as a spirit was born and a bond was severed.)

He doesn't know what went down between the North Pole and that nameless, abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, or in the weeks leading up to Ba Sing Se. He doesn't know what happened afterward, either, only that it had been plenty of time for them, for _Zuko_ , to plan around the invasion and avoid it altogether.

Sokka thinks maybe he _should_ be proud, because somewhere in this mess they had managed to outsmart Azula. The Fire Lord had hidden himself way beyond rivers of lava, behind walls of steel and stone, and they had made it past all of them.

But only Zuko lies before him, paler than Sokka's ever seen him, blood on his face and blackened skin on his hands. He's limp, chest rising and falling with rapid, shallow breaths; there's no fire on his tongue or beneath his lashes, dark against his cheek.

"... Are you sure we can't just dump him and go?" he asks, if only because he's afraid of what he might say if he gives himself a second longer to think about it.

"Sokka," Aang says, and Sokka's anger flares again because Aang should know better, maybe more than anyone. But when he tears his gaze away from Zuko, Aang doesn't look upset with him. There's a sadness in his eyes, alongside an understanding that makes guilt clench at his heart. "Please."

Sokka remembers his last encounter with Zuko. He had turned on Aang, and he'd given Azula the chance to strike. He remembers sitting by Aang's side, Katara held tightly in his arms as she cried against his chest. He'd watched him over her head, counting each breath until both his body and his mind were numb.

Aang _does_ know better than anyone, but he hadn't been awake to hear Katara scream like that.

Zuko isn't Ozai, but it's his blood soaking into Aang's robes.

He sighs, not trusting his voice a second time, and pushes himself up, moving to Aang's side and taking one of Zuko's arms in his hands. He manages to slip one arm around Zuko's shoulders, lifting him up with a little help from Aang, who offers him a smile full of apologies and relief and hope.

"If you're done sulking over there—"

"I am not _sulking_ ," Sokka pointedly tells Toph with a grunt as he hoists Zuko up and over his shoulder. It's not even the first time he's had to do this, though he thinks he prefers charred firebender over frozen. Zuko is lighter than he'd been at the North Pole, at least, and smaller than he'd ever seemed in his armor. He's easier to carry, but he hadn't exactly cared too much about being careful of Zuko's injuries back then. Now, he's hyper aware of his hands and the potential for broken bones or internal bleeding. Can lightning do all of that?

Should he care?

He decides not to think too hard about it, or about towering trees obliterated by lightning strikes, their trunks and branches reduced to jagged splinters. Instead, he focuses his energy on slowly getting to his feet, trying not to lose his balance as he does so. Zuko is definitely lighter, but he's not Aang, or Toph, who violently rejects being carried if it isn't something she explicitly states she wants by plopping herself into his arms.

Zuko doesn't object at all, still as death and just as silent, and it makes him wish he would fight, or yell, or spit fire.

Maybe not fire.

"We have to go," Toph says, a little more urgency entering her voice. "There's... more guards headed this way."

"More," Sokka repeats through gritted teeth, feeling a dread much heavier than Zuko settle in his gut. Aang frowns beside him, his brow furrowing as he spares a quick glance at Zuko, and he knows without having to ask that he's also considering their options while they have an unconscious firebender to look after.

"How many more?" he asks.

"More than there were in the tunnel," Toph says. She's very still, her feet spread, and she breathes slowly and deliberately. "A small army and then some - hard to count when they won't stop moving."

"Monkey feathers," Aang groans.

"Fuck," Toph agrees, holding her arms out in front of her and cracking her knuckles. "They're moving fast. They probably know what's happened, and about our new pet."

"Prisoner!" Sokka quickly corrects her, ignoring the tongue she sticks out at him. Something hurt flits across Aang's face, but Sokka wants to save that conversation for when they aren't in danger of being burnt alive, so he instead turns and heads toward the massive steel door Toph had so graciously opened for them. "We're carrying extra weight. How are we going to get across the landscaping achievement that is Ozai's lava pool?"

"I can try making another tunnel to get around it, but there's so much of it here. It might take me longer than I want to admit. The volcano's probably going to be crawling with firebenders by the time we get out," Toph says. "I can make a bridge to cross the lake..."  
  
"... But we might be doing the dirty work for them if we get ourselves trapped," Sokka says as she trails off. They reach the door and, though Toph hasn't indicated that there could be someone outside, he sticks his head out of the gap to check that the coast is clear. "If we get stuck between a rock and a really, really hot place, I'm dropping Zuko."

"'Stuck' and 'rock' are two words that should never be in the same sentence when I'm around," Toph says, but she holds up a hand to Sokka's face as he opens his mouth to argue, palm flat against his nose. He has half a mind to bite it, but the other half has no idea where it's been. He turns his head away with a sneeze. "But he's right, Aang. If they surround us, and it comes down to us and Sparky..."

Aang looks less hurt by this and more like he's once again been struck by lightning. Guilt is beginning to take up permanent residence in Sokka's chest, right beside the looming dread that is as much a burden as Zuko is, and the crushing failure he hasn't yet let himself acknowledge.

_That_ will definitely have to wait.

The temperature steadily rises as they near the magma chamber. Sweat beads on Sokka's face, running into his eyes, but his mouth is dry; his shoulder aches under Zuko's weight, leaving his arm weak and numb toward his fingertips. He's exhausted, still a little angry and very confused, but he keeps going, adjusting his grip each time Zuko starts to slip. Every so often he thinks he hears Zuko groan softly, or feels him twitch, but he doesn't wake up.

Each time he finds himself glancing down at Zuko's arms, with mangled, twisted skin, and a trail of blood dripping behind them, he leans a little more toward that being a good thing, at least for now.

The chamber itself, once they reach it - and it _is_ slow going, with every misstep and inconveniently placed rock threatening to topple him over, and Aang hovering by his side while Toph pauses to get the most accurate read on their surroundings - is clear of any firebenders, which starts to unnerve Sokka more than it comforts him, but it's a conflicting feeling that doesn't last.

Toph stops at the edge of the magma, though apparently not out of fear of burning her feet. She turns, facing the way they had just come before twisting back toward their way out. She frowns, and Sokka bites back a groan.

"Let me guess, we're surrounded on all sides with no possible means of escape."

"Feels like it, yeah."

"How many are there?" Sokka asks before shaking his head. The movement brushes his ear against Zuko's side, his nose close enough to catch a whiff of burnt flesh and scorched clothing - or fireflakes. He honestly can't tell the difference. "Don't answer that. Are you sure we can't get by them?"

"They're in the tunnel where we came in. Our secret entry point probably isn't so secret anymore," Toph says. Beside Sokka, Aang tenses and sucks in a panicked breath.

"Appa! Do you think—?"  
  
"He'll be fine, Aang," Sokka snaps. He doesn't mean to, but he's trying to rein in his own panic, and it isn't going well. Aang winces, which doesn't do anything to fill the massive sinkhole of bad decisions Sokka has somehow managed to dig himself into, and he sighs, reaching out with his free hand. It’s a struggle to keep his balance with Zuko as he grabs onto Aang's arm, but he manages, and he doesn’t let go. His voice softens. "He's okay. He probably flew away at the first sign of trouble. He's smart like that."

It's a relief to see Aang smile at him, weak as it is, but it's only a minor comfort as Toph stamps her foot, creating a stone staircase that initially leads nowhere until she begins to pull an elevated walkway from the wall of the chamber. In theory (and fear of Toph's anger), it's sturdy and wide enough for all three of them to walk safely, but Sokka isn't looking forward to the inevitable close calls as Zuko's added weight threatens to topple him over the edge.

He doesn't think firebenders can survive falling into a river of lava, and despite being a man of science, he isn't eager to sacrifice himself in the name of finding out.

"There are more of them behind us," Toph warns.

"Spirits, where are they coming from?" Aang asks. Sokka almost has to laugh, adjusting his grip on Zuko as he takes the first step up.

"I don't know. Why don't we ask him?" he grunts, taking the second step even more slowly as he struggles to balance himself. Zuko remains silent. "Do you really think he would tell us all of their secrets even if he was awake?"

"He helped get us this far," Aang says in Zuko's defense, though he doesn't sound too certain, and that's enough for Sokka.

"Yeah, well, we'll cross that bridge when we get— _there!_ " Sokka yelps as he takes a step too close to the edge, flailing slightly as he tilts to the side, but a quick and well-placed pillar rights his posture. His scream gets caught in his throat and he coughs while Toph snickers somewhere behind him. "Can we please just focus on _this_ bridge for now?"

Finally, he reaches the landing, and the ground evens out into smooth stone, but he doesn't relax. He takes one look over the edge, into the bubbling magma below, and gulps, immediately stepping back to hug the wall.

"C'mon, let's get this over with!" he calls back, though it only takes a few steps for him to realize he isn't being followed. "Guys?"

Toph hasn't moved, her brow furrowed in concentration, while Aang takes a step _back,_ and something cold washes over Sokka despite the heat of the chamber. He forcibly peels himself from the wall, moving back to the steps and pausing at the top.

"What are you doing?"

He is absolutely prepared to make the harrowing journey back down the steps if it means grabbing Aang's hand and dragging _him_ up. He'll drop Zuko on the spot if it means putting a stop to whatever crazy idea is churning in Aang's head. He's the plan guy, Sokka has always been the plan guy, and maybe he doesn't deserve that title anymore because it was his plan that got them stuck in this boiling death trap, surrounded by their enemies and with one hanging over his shoulder like a parasite he can't shake off.

He can't go back to his sister without Aang. He can't face his tribe without something to show for their sacrifice, and right now that something is the bare minimum of _surviving_.

"Aang?" he tries again. Aang glances up at him as if he's already made up his mind, and he somehow manages to look both the 112-year-old he is and decades beyond.

"I'm the one they want. I can—you guys can escape. I'll distract them," he says.

"You think they'll just let Sparky here go?" Toph asks quietly, giving voice to one of the dozens of questions caught in Sokka’s throat. "I mean, he did try to kill the Fire Lord."

"It was more like he slapped the ball back into Ozai's court and still lost," Sokka finally manages to weakly mutter, but he meets Aang's gaze, and suddenly all of his anger, his hurt, doesn't matter. Or, it does, but he's willing to let it go. He _wants_ to let it go. "Aang... I can't let you go alone."

"Sokka, please, Zuko needs—"

"Help. He needs help. I know," Sokka says. "I'll get him out of here, I promise. Just... take Toph with you."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Toph asks.

"Are you saying you don't want another shot smashing Ozai's face in?"

"Oh, no, I do," Toph says, tapping her chin briefly. "Okay, I'm in."

"Wait, guys, I meant—" Aang starts, but Toph shakes her head.

"Sorry, Twinkletoes, but you're two elements down in here and I don't feel comfortable unleashing your earthbending onto the world - literally," she says.

"And it's like you said: you're the Avatar, and now they know you're alive. You're the one they want," Sokka adds, though it pains him to say it. "They won't give me a second thought. I can get Zuko to safety, and we'll meet up outside."

"But what if Appa isn't there? What if we can't find each other?" Aang asks, looking as though he regrets ever suggesting it, but Sokka does his best to offer him a kind, reassuring smile.

"Then I'll drag Zuko back to the harbor," he promises. "This will work."

_It has to._

Aang doesn't look as convinced as Sokka would like, but he doesn't try to argue with what started out as his own plan of escape. Instead, he hesitates, but only for a moment. Then, in a gust of wind and dust, deceptively strong arms are wrapping around him.

"Hold on—!" Sokka yelps, because none of this will matter if all three of them tumble to their deaths, but there's a current of air at his back, cool beneath his armor, like a breath of fresh air. He lets himself relax into it, into Aang's powerful grip, his free arm coming around him and holding on just as tightly.

It doesn't last long, because it can't. They're out of time, out of options, though Aang's hands linger on him as he pulls away, skipping the steps back to Toph's side. Toph doesn't come up to hug him, but he sees the same emotions he sees in Aang in the way she bends the rock around them, creating a thick barrier between him and the hoard of soldiers she warns is coming. Sokka watches them disappear on the other side.

He stays where he is for a moment, listening, until the weight on his shoulder once again feels greater than the weight in his heart. Then he turns, adjusting his grip on Zuko once more as he begins to follow the path back the way they came.

He doesn't look back as he walks along the bridge, sweat dripping from his jaw and body aching; he's afraid of what he'll see if he does. If Aang and Toph reappear behind him, then he can only assume that their plan has failed and that they're about to face the fight of their lives - up until this point, at least. _If_ they survive it.

If he looks back and sees anyone else, if the Dai Li have broken through Toph's barrier and Ozai's firebenders are hot on his heels—

He doesn't want to think about that scenario.

Logically, the best possible outcome is that no one follows him, and he makes it to the surface unscathed and, most importantly, alone. And he does feel alone, even with Zuko tossed over his shoulder.

Especially with Zuko tossed over his shoulder.

_And_ , he thinks, _it probably wouldn't feel any different even if Zuko was awake. It would probably feel worse._

The trek across the bridge feels longer than it is, and Sokka barely resists the urge to drop down and kiss the floor when he reaches the ledge. Instead, he keeps going, stepping into the next chamber and following the pattern of geysers on the floor with his eyes. He's more careful this time, ultimately deciding to continue along the wall instead of taking the risk and falling face-first into a boiling crater, even if it takes a little longer.

“You ever think about redecorating? Adding a little color? Some bushes maybe?” he asks Zuko, if only to fill the silence. It’s better than being alone with his own thoughts, but not even he can talk forever.

Every once in a while he thinks he can feel the chamber around him rumble, and it actually helps to think that the volcano is about to explode, that the magma underneath the floor is about to rise up out of the geysers and consume him in a painful, burning death. It helps because it's _easier_ to imagine that in place of distant earthbending battles and two kids trying to hold their own against a literal army. It's easier because he doesn't want to think about what's happening to them while he runs to safety, dragging said army's prince behind him.

Even if there isn't much Sokka could do to help them. Even if running away is the only thing he can do.

It's familiar, this feeling. He thinks he should be over it by now, after training with Master Piandao, after the faith his father and his friends have put in him, trusting him to lead and protect them.

He thinks of his nightmares. He never reaches his mother in time. He's never able to save Yue. The invasion fails.

It _has_ failed. This is his reality. It has been for a long, long time.

Something tightens in Sokka's chest, and each breath becomes harder than the last. He slowly comes to a stop, one hand against the wall, his legs shaking. He feels heavy, and his eyes sting, and he knows it isn't Zuko or the heat or the sweat on his brow.

There's a part of him that wants to give in, a part he's struggled with since the very beginning. It makes his knees weak, makes him want to sink to the floor and _wait_ , though for what, he's never really sure. He thinks it might help to let the gravity of his failures wash over him, to let the weight of them make it impossible to keep moving forward. He's _tired_ , and if he stops fighting it, stops trying to be something he isn't, to accomplish something he never can, then maybe it will ease the exhaustion in his muscles, his head and deep in his heart.

It should be so easy, but nothing in his life has been _easy_ ; there's no reason why giving up would be any different. Even now, there's something keeping him upright, his fingers curling into a fist against the wall - a barrier against the wave threatening to overwhelm him. A voice. 

It sits at the edge of his mind, pulling him back from the brink, but he doesn't know who it belongs to. It sounds like Katara, and his father and Master Piandao all at once. It sounds like Aang and Toph and Suki. His family. And it _scares_ him at first, makes him feel seen when he just wants to hide. He doesn't want them to see him like this, cracking under the pressure. He doesn't want to let them down. Not again.

_Are you going to give up before defeat is even a certainty?_ the voice asks, and this time it sounds more like his own. Or maybe like Zuko’s, mocking him. Sokka heaves a sigh and pushes away from the wall, taking a step forward, arm tight around Zuko’s waist.

Maybe it isn't a certainty. There's still a chance they can at least make it out alive and—and if Aang and Toph _are_ hurt or captured or worse, he'll still have meat and sarcasm. At the very least, he can keep going out of pure spite.

"I guess Zuko sitter is a step up from lemur sitter," he mutters, glancing down at Zuko. He looks worse each time he does, his skin almost gray in the flickering light of the geysers, but he's still breathing. Sokka moves a little faster.

He pauses at the entrance to the chamber, peering down the tunnel that leads there. He can't see or hear any soldiers, but he can see the imprints of their boots in the layer of dust covering the ground. Some of them double back, while the rest follow the tunnel where it branches away, presumably deeper into the volcano. Sokka isn't particularly thrilled to follow either set, but he doesn't have much of a choice as he begins retracing his steps back to the opening Toph created.

The closer he gets, the more afraid he is that it's been destroyed, or that it's being guarded, but the tunnel eventually begins to brighten with natural light. Sokka's legs get weak again, this time in relief, but he keeps going until the warmth of the sun hits his skin. He didn't think he'd be so glad to feel it again after the eclipse.  
  
There's no one standing guard, which Sokka thinks should be a bad sign, or maybe it just means that something went _right_ for once. All he can really focus on is getting out of the tunnel and, as carefully as he can manage, dropping Zuko from his shoulder.  
  
This time he _does_ let himself sink to his knees, Zuko beside him as he lets his arms fall limply to his sides. His shoulder _aches_. He's sore and his mouth is as dry as the hot rock around him. He's also pretty sure the mixture of dust and sweat on his skin is beginning to solidify, but he doesn't care. He's _alive_ , and Zuko's alive, if just barely, but _spirits_ , he'll take it.

He angles his face toward the sun with a whispered apology to Yue in his heart and _breathes_ , eyes closed against the impossible brightness. He knows there's still work to do, that he needs to find Appa and prepare to meet Aang and Toph, and that he needs to get Zuko to Katara (though that's a fight he plans on leaving to Aang). He just needs a moment to reset, to laugh at himself for ever thinking he could just quit.

And then someone joins him, though it's hard to tell if they're laughing with him or at him. He can only guess it's the latter as his eyes snap open and he slowly turns on his knees to see Azula towering above him, perched comfortably higher up on the volcano's face.

She grins at him, then shifts her golden gaze to Zuko, still in a heap beside Sokka.

"I thought for sure your little group would come back here, so you can imagine how disappointed I was when the Avatar was spotted heading back toward the harbor," she says, rising to her full height. "They managed to blow a hole through the floor of the palace. I might have even been impressed if they hadn't ruined the baths."

She takes a step forward, prompting Sokka to shake himself from his stupor. He scrambles to his feet, nearly tripping over Zuko in the process, and reaches behind him to draw his sword. He holds it at the ready, trying to mask the shaking in his arms, though it's more weakness from carrying Zuko than fear. It's more _anger_ than terror.

Zuko had doubted them, and he’d been right, but some twisted part of him is glad for it. Leaving Azula behind, pinned to the wall, her voice following them as they ran, had felt like leaving _Suki_ behind. Something had happened to her, Azula _knew_ , and maybe she would never tell him anything other than lies, but he had to try. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't try.

"I _was_ disappointed," Azula continues, "but it seems my patience has been rewarded. You see, I could waste my energy going after the Avatar, but it's reasonable to assume he's already making his escape. Why take the blame when he isn't captured? Why should I submit myself to my father's wrath when there are so many others to do so for me?"  
  
Her lips twist into a wicked smirk.  
  
"Zuzu has plenty of experience in that regard. In fact, I think he's the perfect candidate," she says. "I also think you'd agree."  
  
"You don't know what I think," Sokka snaps, tightening his grip on his sword.

"Don't I? He's chased you, hurt you, tried to capture you. He's too much of a coward to do it himself, but he's partially responsible for nearly getting the Avatar killed. That girl - is she your sister? She was so upset," Azula says. "I'm not entirely sure myself how he survived, but I'm assuming she had something to do with it. It must have taken quite a toll on her—"  
  
"Don't talk about Katara! You don't know anything!" Sokka growls, taking a step forward, but Azula doesn't flinch. She matches his step with one of her own, though the way she holds her hands is more placating than anything.  
  
_She's a firebender. She's Azula,_ Sokka has to remind himself. _She's as good as ready to strike._

"I'm merely stating what I know is true. My brother has done nothing but torment you - which is why I think you'd be very interested in making a trade."

Sokka's heart skips a beat, but he doesn’t lower his sword.

"... And what would you like to trade?"

"Well, I did say it would be a waste of my energy to chase after the Avatar, but I think it's just as reasonable to assume, from your naïve perspective, that he'll be on his way to rescue you at any moment," Azula says. Sokka clenches his jaw. "It's still a lot of work, and there's no guarantee I'll be successful, but I have you, and him. Do you really want to risk someone getting hurt over Zuko?"

_No_ , he doesn't answer.

"What about your little Kyoshi Warrior? You were so concerned with her well-being. Don't you still want to know where she is?"

"You'll lie," Sokka says, as evenly as he can.

"Well, I _could_ , but I won't. It would be far more amusing to watch you struggle with knowing the truth.”  
  
"Where is she?" Sokka takes another step forward, not caring that her hands are still raised. He keeps his sword in front of him, muscles pulled tight. "Tell me!"

"Oh, how I want to, but I won’t. Not unless you hand Zuzu over. Of course, he might be dead by the time I take him to father, but I think it will be worth it just to drop his lifeless body as his feet."

"You're sick," Sokka says, and now he _is_ afraid - for Suki, for himself. Maybe even for Zuko.

"I'm not the one trying to defend him," Azula says, raising an eyebrow. She looks completely unfazed, eyes darting from Sokka's to his sword. It's a wonder it doesn't melt under the intensity. "After everything he's done. Didn’t he burn your girlfriend’s village to the ground? What would she think about you choosing him over her?”  
  
" _Shut up!_ "

Sokka runs forward, closing the distance between them, but Azula uses the incline to her advantage, propelling herself forward. Her boot comes down directly onto Sokka's sword, and she uses it to launch herself over his head as he falls forward. He quickly rights himself, however, twisting around and slicing his sword through the air behind him. Azula bows her back to avoid having her insides spilled over the side of the volcano, and she lands on her hands, legs together. Fire appears at her feet, and Sokka is forced to duck.  
  
Azula uses the momentum to send herself down the side of the volcano, another blast of fire from her palms sending her into the air. She lands gracefully on her feet, which is annoying, but Sokka can at least take pride in the annoyance etched into her face.  
  
"You're a fool, Water Tribe," she hisses. "I'm offering you the slim chance of making it out of Caldera alive - your _only_ chance. There's nothing stopping me from killing you where you stand!"  
  
"Then do it!" Sokka doesn't regret it, though some distant voice tells him that he probably should. "You're not taking him, and you're going to tell me where Suki is!"  
  
"If you insist!" Azula cackles, widening her stance. She sweeps one hand toward the ground, and Sokka's hair stands on end as lightning follows. Violent shadows flash across her face, and maybe he does start to regret his words, but there's no taking them back. He shifts his own stance, tense, ready to once again do the only thing he can do in this situation—  
  
Before he gets a chance to run, before Azula has a chance to zap him, a ball of fire - small, flickering, but fire nonetheless - appears out of nowhere.

Right toward Azula's face.

To her credit, she sees it in time to react, but the reaction isn't what Sokka expects. Or what Azula expects, if the wide-eyed look he catches a glimpse of is any indication. She turns her head and raises her hand, but her concentration is broken. The air crackles, and suddenly there's an explosion. Sokka feels the force and heat of it as it throws him back, landing hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. He skids to a halt, coughing, the air around him filled with dust and smoke.

It takes him a few seconds to catch his breath, his entire body protesting as he pushes himself up onto his elbows. He expects to see Azula already back on her feet, but as the smoke clears, he realizes she isn't there anymore. In fact, he doesn't see her at all. Blinking tears from his eyes, Sokka shakily gets to his feet, grabbing his sword up as he does so.

In Azula's place, Zuko stands.  
  
" _Zuko?_ " Sokka takes a hesitant step toward him. "What? How—?"

Zuko glances at him, then up at the sun, his breathing ragged and shallow. When he speaks, his voice is rough, raspier than Sokka thought possible, and it wavers.

"I rise with the sun," he said, and he has the audacity to roll his eyes, as if it's all some kind of joke Sokka isn't in on. Then he's raising his fist, and this time Sokka _does_ have enough time to run before a blast of fire rushes toward him.

"Zuko!" he yells again. If he'd been confused before, then he doesn't know what to think about _this_. He dodges another blast, but Zuko's fire is far weaker than his sister's. It doesn't have the same range, the same kind of heat, but Sokka knows better than to chalk it up to skill alone. He can see the struggle, the lack of coordination. "Zuko, stop!"

He has to roll to avoid a wave of flames, though they still singe the ends of his wolf tail.

"Hey! Watch it!" he yelps, bracing himself with one hand splayed on the ground, though Zuko doesn't appear to be listening to him. He's once again reminded of their first meeting, of lying in wait to defend his home, only to have Zuko kick him away as if he were nothing.

Injured or not, he's not letting Zuko get the better of him now.

With a cry, he pushes off from the ground, spinning to evade one final, desperate attack that feels more like hot air than anything else. He slices through it with his sword, angles himself and lunges, the tip of his blade finding the smooth curve of Zuko's throat once more. It feels like being back in the volcano, surrounded by fire, with Aang standing between them.

But Aang isn't here now.

There's a moment of tense silence. The only thing Sokka can hear is Zuko's breathing and the rushing of his blood in his ears. Zuko is frozen in front of him, all except for the tremble in his body and the rapid rise of his chest. His eyes are unnaturally bright and feverish, as confused as Sokka feels, but there's fear underneath that he knows reflects in his own eyes.

Then, so quiet and soft he almost thinks he imagines it, "... Sokka?"

Sokka drops his sword as Zuko lists dangerously to the side, just barely managing to reach him on time. He hooks one arm around his shoulders and the other around his waist, carefully lowering him to the ground.

"Hey, no, no! Stay with me!" Sokka brings Zuko's head to rest in his lap, gripping his shoulder tightly even when Zuko's hand brushes over his own. Blood smears across his wrist, but he doesn't move away, his other hand cradling Zuko's cheek. The prince's eyes are darting everywhere but Sokka's face, a thin layer of sweat covering his skin. "Come on, jerkbender, focus! You made it this far—well, _I_ made it this far; you just hitched a ride."

He tries to laugh, but it rings hollow. Sokka lifts his head briefly, looking around for Appa, for Aang, for anyone, but the only person he sees is Azula. His heart drops out of his chest for a moment before he realizes she isn't moving, lying awkwardly against a rock that she must have hit after being thrown back. He decides not to mention it to Zuko.

Azula is Azula, but she's still his sister. He can’t imagine Katara—

He turns his head back to Zuko, brushing damp hair from his forehead, and Zuko's eyes shut briefly before snapping back open. They're a little clearer, recognition in his gaze as he licks his lips, but he struggles to speak.

"Hold on, just—just save your strength," Sokka starts, but Zuko shakes his head, trying again.  
  
"Sokka," he slurs. Sokka is almost willing to take another kick to the head in place of Zuko's fingers weakly curling around his own. "S-Sorry..."

"It's okay," Sokka says, and it is, surprisingly, as long as he doesn’t think about Azula’s words. "Consider us even."

He isn't entirely sure Zuko understands, but he twists his hand in Zuko's hold, not quite squeezing but wanting him to know he's there. He focuses on the fading warmth and doesn’t let go.

Zuko’s breath hitches, slows, and Sokka thinks he might lose consciousness again before Zuko forces them back open.

"My uncle—please. I-I need—"

His voice fails, and he falls limp. Sokka swears under his breath, patting Zuko's cheek and shaking him as panic grips him.

"No, no, no, Zuko, come on!" he begs, just as there's a deep rumble somewhere to his left. He glances up, relief flooding his senses as Appa soars into view, though he doesn't leave Zuko. Instead, he once again pulls him into his arms, one beneath his shoulders and the other hooked under his knees. It's harder to lift him this way, but fear and urgency give him a boost. "Aang!"

Aang is jumping to the ground before Appa reaches it, a gust of wind following him as he rushes to their side. He's filthy, covered in dirt, but he doesn't look hurt, which is all Sokka can ask for at this point.  
  
"Sokka! Is he—?" Aang doesn't finish the question. He takes one look at Zuko and pales. "Katara!"

Sokka starts, eyes widening as Katara jumps down from Appa's saddle as soon as he touches the ground. He hadn't expected to see her, and from the look on her face, she hadn't expected to see him, either. At least, not standing.

"Sokka!" she cries. "We saw the explosion—I thought you were—!"

She looks terrified, and there was very little Sokka could have done about it at the time, but he still feels the guilt. He wants to hug her, to feel that she's okay and to show her that he's okay, too, but the dead weight in his arms is a sobering reminder that they aren't out of the woods just yet. The hands that come to rest on his arm, cool and strong, will have to be enough.

"Sokka..." she says again, tearing her eyes away from her brother with obvious reluctance. She falls silent as she looks at Zuko, but she seems less shocked than he would have thought she'd be. Aang must have told her, and he's grateful, but he's suddenly fearful that she'll refuse.

“Katara, please...”

Katara takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for just a moment before opening them again. Steely determination takes the place of uncertainty, and then she's moving, bending the water from her waterskin.

"Aang, help Sokka get him up on Appa," she says. Sokka shares a glance with Aang, but he knows better than to say anything, and Aang does, too. Instead, they quickly do as she says, moving to Appa's side. Aang bends the earth beneath their feet, creating an elevated platform that's level with the saddle before taking Zuko's legs, and together they move him inside. Even Momo helps, gripping Zuko's tunic and flapping his wings.

To Sokka's surprise, the saddle is already full. The Duke and Teo are there, Haru too, and they huddle together, watching the scene unfold with wide, confused eyes. He doesn't have time to think too hard about it.

Toph is by herself, holding onto the side of the saddle with a white-knuckled grip. She's just as dirty as Aang, if not more so, and she looks ready to hurl her breakfast at any second, but Sokka's so relieved to see she’s okay that he doesn’t mind risking it and a fist to his face just to hug her.

Toph allows it, even returns it with her hands leaving the saddle to press flat and firm against his back, as if to make sure he’s really there. It’s a moment that doesn’t last, as the fake retching sound she makes sends Sokka scrambling back, but the fear in her eyes is as real as it can be.

"I can't—Sparky. Is he okay?"

"He will be," Katara answers for him, voice flat. Sokka doesn't know if Toph would be able to detect a lie even if there was one in her voice. He isn't sure himself, even as he watches Katara begin her work. He lingers for what must only be a few moments, but feels like a lifetime, until Zuko's labored breathing begins to even out again. Only then does he leap back down from the saddle.

"We have to—what are you doing?" Aang calls as Sokka looks for his sword. He finds where he dropped it in his haste to grab Zuko, but when he turns around, eyes flitting to where he'd seen Azula, he realizes she isn't there anymore. Dread washes over him, but even as he turns in every direction, searching, she's nowhere to be found. "Sokka, come on!"

He sheathes his sword, hurrying back to Appa and climbing up again. He takes one last look around, unable to shake the feeling that they're being watched, but decides not to mention it. He'll save that story for later, when Zuko’s life doesn’t depend on Katara’s concentration, though he doesn't think she'll be any happier with what he has to say next.

"Anyone up for another prison break?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a tumblr @starbytes :)


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